Vaccine Eligibility by State and Continued Protection


Key Points:

Recommendations for Industry

Vaccine Eligibility by State and Continued Protection

As vaccine availability continues to roll out across the country, states continue to prioritize different groups. To help the food industry understand when their workers will be eligible, TAG has developed a new offering: a weekly status updates on food worker eligibility. For each state, the matrix includes:

  • Current eligible phases
  • Food Processor/Manufacturing/Distribution eligibility status
  • Retail Food/Grocery eligibility status
  • Foodservice/Restaurant eligibility status
  • Expected date of food industry eligibility status
  • Source of information

Although vaccines are becoming more widely available with the distribution of the J&J vaccine, in addition to those of Pfizer and Moderna, we are not seeing a decline in cases in the U.S. Additionally we are seeing an increase in the proportion of cases of the B.1.1.7. variant (first detected in the U.K.). In January, a CDC report estimated that this variant would become the predominant strain by March. With a rise in B.1.1.7. cases from about 5% in January to 40% today, we are seeing exactly that trend occurring, and would expect it to continue and fulfill the CDC prediction.

Because of that, we are continuing to urge all businesses to continue all precautions – and we are seeing many of our clients following that advice. Even in states that are fully reopening, many of TAG’s retail/grocery clients are maintaining limits, continuing to require masks, and maintaining protections for both their employees and customers.

In Case You Missed It